Dental inlay



March 30, 1948. ,Q H. TAMARlN 2,438,725

DENTAL IN LAY Filed April so, 1945 hun y M Patented Mar. 30, V1948UNITED STATES DTENT QFFICEv DENTAL INLAY Abraham H. Tamarin, Chicago,Ill.

Application April 30, 1945, Serial No. 590,996

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to dental inlays made of any suitable materialsuch as precious metal or plastic material and to the method of securingthe inlay against dislodgement.

The securing of inlays has always formed a difficult problem and manyattempts were made to prevent the dislodgement and loss of inlays.

The employment of pins or posts and the use of special cements havecontributed little, if anything, in permanently securing an inlay.

It is, therefore, one of the main objects of the invention to provide aninlay which is permanently secured to a tooth and is retained in suchposition for the life, of a tooth, so that the inlays may be used .as anabutment for bridgework.

Another object constitutes the provision of an anchor which is embeddedin the tooth and formed integral with the inlay so that the adhesiveeiect of a cement is only partly relied upon to secure the inlay againstdislodgement.

With these and other important objects in view which will becomeapparent from a perusal of the invention, the latter comprises the meansand the method of applying the means set forth in the specification,particularly pointed out in the claims .forming a part thereof, andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is aperspective View of an anchor constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through a tooth in the process of applying myimproved inlay.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a tooth pr-ovided with an inlay.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with the improved inlay applied.

Figs. 5 to 7 are elevational views of drilling and burring toolsemployed in carrying out my invention, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an inlay to be applied to a tooth.

The invention may be applied to distocclusal as well as mesiocclusalinlays and broadly provides an anchor which protrudes Vfrom the inlayand is received in an auxiliary cavity where a body of cement is trappedwhich holds the anchor and prevents loosening or dislodgement of theinlay. v

Referring to the drawing Iii generally designates a tooth which has acavity lI I to which an inlay is to be applied.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the tooth is provided with a hole I2 which atthe lower part is widened as at I3 designing a chamber and producingshoulders I4.

The hole I2 is provided to receive an anchor 2 generally designated byI5 and comprising a cylinder I5 from which extend at the 4longitudinalcenter pins I'I and I8 terminating in a head i9 and 2G respectively.

Attention is called to the fact that the cylinder and the headed pinseach are 1 mm. long so that the total length of the anchor pass does noteX- ceed 3 mm.

These dimensions have been found practical and are given merely by wayof example and not as a limitation.

The -cylinder is formed with a longitudinal groove 2l and the heads I 9and 2B each have a marginal groove or peripheral recess 22 for a purposehereinafter to be referred to.

In carrying out the invention the tooth is provided with the auxiliaryhole I2 which is formed with a drill 23 having a shoulder forming anabutment to prevent excessive penetration of the drill into the tooth.

The operative part 25 of the drill has substantially two-thirds of thelength of the anchor post .and upon insertion of the anchor post intothe hole, the pin IB and its head extend into the cavity II.

A bur 26 is employed which also has a shoulder 21 to prevent excessivepenetration for dressing the bottom of the lrole I2. Finally a bur 28having a thin stem 29 enables the diameter of the lower part of the holeI2 to be increased whereby shoulders I4 are formed.

'I'hereupon the anchor post is inserted in the hole I2 so that the topsurface of the cylinder I6 is iiush with the bottom of cavity I2. Thecylinder I6 serves as a guide means when inserting the post.

Thereupon wax is pressed into the tooth whereby the head 2l) and pin I8become embedded in the wax.

Upon removal of the wax pattern the anchor post is carried along and theinlay 30 cast, resulting in an integral structure of inlay and anchorpost I5.

The cavity and the functional inlay surfaces as ywell as the anchor postare covered with cement.

In mounting the inlay excessive cement may escape through the grooves2|, 22.

Upon hardening the cement in chamber I3 forms a block 3l connected bythe post I5 with the inlay 30 and bearing against shoulders I4 extendingat right angles to the post I5 to effectively prevent any dislodgementor loosening of the inlay.

The inlay shown in Fig. 8 has two anchor posts I5 if double 4anchorageis desired.

The inlay thus secured may serve as an abutment for bridgework with thesame assurance of retention and security as a crowned tooth, since theblock of cement trapped in the chamber I3 forms a rigid assembly, withthe post and inlay.

Attention is called to the fact that the anchor may be employed fordistocclusal or mesiocclusal inlays regardless of ease or diculty ofaccess to the cavity.

While the drawing disclosesrone embodiment of the invention numerouschanges and alterations may be made without departing from the Ispiritof the invention. I,'therefore, do not limit myself to details ofconstruction or arrangement of parts as shown, but claim my invention asbroadly as the state ofthe art permits.

I claim:

1. A dental anchor comprising a cylindrical portion formed with pinslongitudinally extending from the center thereof, and provided withheads at the free end, said cylindrical portion and heads being providedwith a peripheral groove parallel to the longitudinal axis to provide achannel.

2. For use with an inlay of precious or semiprecious metal to be appliedto a tooth in situ, a dental anchor comprising a cylindrical portionformed with pins longitudinally extending from the center thereof, andprovided with heads at the free end, said cylindrical portion and headsbeing provided with a peripheral groove parallel to the longitudinalaxis to provide a channel, said anchor being adapted to be cast to saidinlay affording the securing of said inlay and said anchor as a unit tothe tooth.

ABRAHAM I-I. TAMARIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of 4record inthe

